


(Almost) Fearless

by MsWriterPerson



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Comedy, Haunted Houses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:47:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsWriterPerson/pseuds/MsWriterPerson
Summary: A Halloween-based one-shot based on the College AU created by @coronachts on Twitter (definitely go check out their stuff if you can!)In this one-shot, Than and Zag go to a local haunted house~ But who will get the last scream?
Relationships: Thanatos & Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 106





	(Almost) Fearless

“Zagreus, where exactly did you bring me?” Thanatos scolded at the looked over the decrepit building in front of them.

“It’s a haunted house!” Zagreus proclaimed excitedly. 

“I’m going to walk home now.” Than replied bluntly. 

“Come on, just give it a shot!” Zag insisted. “They have a special event going on for Halloween and everyone at school said it’s one of the scariest houses in the state!” 

“You said we were going out to grab dinner.” Than sighed. 

“We can still get dinner after this.” Zag assured. “It’s a short tour, we’ll be done in thirty, no, twenty minutes tops!” Than didn’t respond, broodily staring out the windshield. Time to try another method. “I’ll buy you whatever you want for dinner if you go in with me!” 

Than shot him a skeptical glance. “….Twenty minutes.” He yielded, opening the car door. 

“Yes!” Zag cheered, hopping out. “You won’t regret this, Than!”

“I seriously doubt that.” Than retorted. The building loomed over them, the setting sun behind it draping the ancient building in ominous shadows. Yet Zag, undeterred by the visage, quickly rushed towards the entryway. 

“Tickets… please….” The greeter growled, Zag happily handing them over. 

“You already bought tickets?” Than observed. “What if I had said no?” 

“I would have figured out a way to get you to say yes.” Zag grinned. 

“That’s it, I’m going home.” Than declared, starting to turn back.

“Wait! I’m sorry!” Zag cried out, pulling him back as they walked inside. “I’ll behave from now on, I promise.”

“Let’s see how long that lasts.” Than groaned, as they made their way down into the darkened corridor. The walls were decked out in presumably fake spider webs, electric candles, and scattered photos of people staring back with villainous gazes. 

“Not bad, eh, Than?” Zagreus checked, the floor creaking under their feet. 

“Nothing’s happened yet, Zag.” Than corrected. “Right now the scariest thing about this place is how desperately it needs a good cleaning.”

“Dusa would have a ball in here then, wouldn’t she-” Zag was cut off by a closet door swinging open, a prop skeleton bursting out as a maniacal laugh echoed on the speakers. 

“ZEUS’ TITS.” Zag screamed, leaping back. Than struggled to hold back his laughter as Zag settled himself back down. “It’s not funny, Than.” He pouted as they moved past the prop, onward down the hall.

“You’re the one who said you wanted to come here.” Than grinned. “I thought this is what you were expecting.”

“I mean, kind of…” Zag replied. “I just wasn’t expect it so so-” He was cut off again, this time when the mirror beside them lit up with an eerie green glow, revealing a hideous masked monster on the other side, unleashing a murderous howl.

“FUCKING HELL.” Zag yelped, latching onto Than’s arm. 

“That’s actually a pretty impressive mask.” Than noted politely, nodding at the actor on the other side of the mirror before moving on. 

“They, uh… really know how to catch someone off guard.” Zag excused, releasing Than’s arm. 

“I think you just scare too easily, Zag.” Than retorted. 

“You’re just impossible to scare, Than.” Zag complained, nervously looking around for the next thing to pop out.

Than smiled. “You know, if you’re scared, you can hold my hand.” He offered.

That drew Zag’s attention immediately, his eyes sparkling at the notion. “Uh… sure. If you don’t mind.” Zag replied, slowly gliding his hand into Than’s, gripping it gently. 

They took a few more steps forward, hearing a creaking behind them, turning to see a blood-soaked man wielding an axe staring at them. Zag immediately froze up, squeezing Than’s hand. “I think we’re supposed to run.” Than whispered.

“Good idea.” Zag squeaked, as the bolted down the passage into the kitchen, hearing the man stomping behind them. They pushed through a door into what appeared to be a kitchen, a bloody head on the table.

“I think we lost him.” Than laughed, Zag looking around the room. “Although I doubt this kitchen is going to pass any health code inspections any time soon.”

“Ha-ha-ha, very funny.” Zag joked, poking at some of the prop knives on the counter. “This room doesn’t seem to bad, honestly.”

“Agreed.” Than mumbled, taking a moment to examine the head on the table. “I have to give them points for detail though, this head looks so real, almost like it’s not a pr-”

The head burst to life, screaming in Than’s face. The suddenness shocked him back, as he jolted backwards into the cabinets, unleashing a horde of prop snakes on him.

“The hell is this!?” Than yelled, brushing them off frantically. 

“So you’re not impossible to scare.” Zag giggled. “Do you want to hold my hand?” He offered. 

“No, thank you.” Than growled, straightening his shirt. A loud bang rang on the door they came through. “We better get a move on.” 

“After you,” Zag offered, gesturing to the other door. 

“Where did all this new-found confidence come from?” Than rebuked as he walked over to open the door.

“What confidence? I just enjoy seeing new sides to you, Than.” Zag explained as he followed behind. 

“...Is that why you wanted me to come here?” Than demanded. 

“Maybe a little.” Zag confessed as they navigated the winding hallway. “But I mostly just like spending time with you.”

Than paused, taking a second to look back at him. “You really mean that?” He asked softly.

“Of course I do.” Zag smiled.  
Than turned back, walking further down the path, now starting to narrow. “I just thought, you know, since you wanted to go to Olympus University so much, you had… I don’t know… gotten tired of me.” 

Zag stopped in his tracks. “Than, me wanting to go to Olympus has nothing to do with how I feel about you. Even if I go, I’m still planning on spending time with you. I’m not planning on giving you up, ever.” 

Than turned, realizing just how close they were together, still able to make out Zag’s expression in the dim light. Serious, determined, ready to take on the world at a moment’s notice. That unyielding stare that almost seemed to stare straight through him. “Zag, I…”

Zag listened intently, noticing Than look behind him, eyes widened. “Than?”

“Don’t look now, but there’s someone behind you.” Than whispered. 

“What?” Zag turned, a ghoulish woman standing a few feet behind them.

“Mur-der…. Murrrrdddeerrrr….” She moaned. 

“She looks kinda familiar…” Than mentioned, Zag pushing him to move forward.

“Murder….. MURDER!!!!” She screamed, lunging at the pair. Than grabbed Zag’s hand, darting forward down the hall. 

“I think I see a light!” Than yelled, running towards it. “I think we’re at the end of it!” 

“Run faster then!” Zag ordered, as they quickly approached the exit.

Suddenly, right as they reached the end, two zombified actors jumped out from both sides, letting out horrific gargled screams in their faces. Zag leapt into Than’s arms as they both screamed in terror, hardly noticing the exit door’s camera flashing to capture the moment. 

“Thank you so much for coming to Tartarus Haunted House! We hope to see you again soon!” A sudden chipper voice announced, as a friendly-faced young lady smiled at them from the opposite side of the exit. 

“So…. It’s over? That’s it?” Zag checked, still clinging to Than.

“Yes, sir!” She nodded. “And here, your complimentary departure photo!”

She handed them a Polaroid photo, showing off Than and Zag holding each other tight, each of their faces contorted in exaggerated expressions of fear. “Um… thank you?” Than replied, taking the photo from her. 

“You two have a nice night and a safe trip back!” She stepped aside, allowing them to pass by her. Than and Zag slowly made their way out into the sunlight, glowing red as it set over on the horizon. 

“Oh gods, my legs feel like jelly.” Zag complained as they got to the car. 

“I guess your friends at school were right about it being scary.” Than yielded. 

“Yeah, I can’t wait to tell them even the ‘Unshakable Thanatos’ got scared at this place.” Zag laughed.

“Oh go ahead and tell them, if you’re prepared for me to tell them about when we were kids and Hypnos convinced you that if you ate salt and sugar at the same time you wouldn’t taste anything.” Than threatened. “Or how you threw up when you tried it.” 

“That’s playing dirty!” Zag protested. “Not cool, Than.”

“When did I ever say I was going to play fair?” Than smiled. “Besides, you still owe me dinner and I haven’t decided what I want yet.”

Zag paused. “Please be gentle. I’ve got a college student’s wallet.” 

“I’ll think about it on the drive there.” Than smirked. “But I have to admit, you were right about one thing.”

“And what was that?” Zag asked, curious.

“I did have a pretty good time tonight.” Than confessed, Zag barely able to hold back his grin as he started the car.

“Me too.”


End file.
